APA affirms Cuomo resolve to stand with Climate Accord

The Adirondack Park Agency has issued a resolution opposing the United States’ decision to pull out of the Paris Accord. Pictured above: Baxter Mountain looking north over a wide expanse of Adirondack Park wilderness.

Photo by Kim Dedam

RAY BROOK — The Adirondack Park Agency took the unusual step of weighing in on current affairs last month when they approved a resolution opposing the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement.

“The impacts of climate change transcends regional boundaries and political affiliations,” said APA Chairman Sherman Craig in a statement issued on June 21. “In the Adirondacks, we have witnessed the devastating impacts of catastrophic weather events which damaged our communities costing millions in reconstruction and lost revenue.”

President Trump announced the U.S. was pulling out of the agreement on June 1.

Trump suggested renegotiating the climate treaty to improve options for American business. But formal written notice of withdrawal cannot be submitted until Nov. 4, 2019, more than two years from now.

In the meantime, the U.S. administration is fast unwinding climate protection policy, rolling back Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emissions measures, revising Clean Power Plan goals to shutter coal-run energy plants and eliminating climate data monitoring jobs and funding for relevant science, among other revisions — including when it comes to sharing scientific data on federally maintained websites.

EMPIRE STATE EFFORTS

Despite the rollbacks at the federal, New York State is positioning itself to play a leading role in facilitating environmentally friendly policies.

The state has set emission reduction goals for 2030 and 2050, and is working now to cut 1990 greenhouse gas levels by 40 and 80 percent, respectively.

APA reaffirmed their commitment to achieving those goals, as well as those offered by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo when his administration announced the rollout of the United States Climate Change Alliance last month.

Nearly a dozen states containing 31 percent of the U.S. population have pledged to upholding the Paris Climate Agreement.

Resurgence in local farming has increased economic opportunity in the region while providing access to local food, he said.

“State and local government and not-for-profits are aggressively implementing renewable energy sources and finding ways to reduce energy consumption,” Sherman said.

“But quite possibly the most important fundamental shift has been in the mindset of the youth of the park.”

The Wild Center’s Adirondack Youth Climate Summit has inspired the next generation, Sherman said, “to take positive action in everyday life to better our planet.”

School gardens, composting, recycling programs and carbon audits are already in place.

Formed in the Adirondacks, the Youth Climate Summit has expanded to climate summits around the world.

“Globally, we are at a point in time where we must act progressively not regressively,” the park agency said.

At the Adirondack Council, spokesman John Sheehan said it was unusual “but not unwelcome” to see APA issue such a policy statement.

“The Adirondack Council applauds the Adirondack Park Agency for its resolution condemning the federal government’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement,” said William C. Janeway, executive director.

“It is vitally important that state agencies whose job it is to protect this national treasure make it clear to the public, and to policy makers, what is at stake if we don’t take strong action to curb greenhouse gases.”

“We commend Gov. Cuomo, APA Chairman Sherman Craig, Executive Director Terry Martino and the rest of the APA board and staff for refusing to be intimidated by those who deny climate change or who seek to cast doubt on well-established climate science.”

New York lawmakers have uniformly condemned the decision to pull out the agreement, including U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, both Democrats, as well as Rep. Elise Stefanik, a Republican.

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is United Nation’s Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change.

Bloomberg has stepped in to replace potential lost funding from U.S. withdrawal from U.N. climate discussions.

Bloomberg Philanthropies will contribute up to $15 million in funding that the U.N.’s Climate Secretariat stands to lose from Washington.

“Americans are not walking away from the Paris Climate Agreement. Just the opposite – we are forging ahead,” Bloomberg said. “Mayors, governors, and business leaders from both political parties are signing onto a statement of support that we will submit to the U.N. – and together, we will reach the emission reduction goals the U.S. made in Paris in 2015.”